Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-06-04
FISHERS FOR COD.
SeCONSeTT, VILLAGE ON THE FUR.
ThER END OF NANTUCKET.
How the Husbands and Fathers aud
Brothers Go Dawn to the Sea in Little
Boats and Brave the dangers ot the
Deep with Stouf Hearts.

IlsnllS NHidgt oi F>e'oli>ttt, Ut tfs iuiliitI
end of the island, eight miles from Nantucket
town, is remoter. We have now no railway,
no stage, no regular mail, no telegraph, no
store, no p"Stof'ice, no hotels open, no church
services on Sunday. Our store Is opened for
the public convenience on Mondays, Wetnes-
days and Fridays. Our population snumbers
about forty souls and bodies. There are III.
empty summer cottages, all Of which will he
full of occupants III few weeks
Seconsett few weeks heuce will have
population Of Az or JD1 Its twenty able
bodied men are now OF in the nnat> Wonder
cod fishing. You can Just them on the
hszy ocean, one man to the boat mere bits
Of black outline on the water The black up.
right dot ON it is the fisher. On II calm day
that is all the Seconsett wife or maiden sees
. of husband or lover. They put Oft at certain
times of tide when the tish bite best. Some
times they are all aiioat 10y > in the morning,
and beautiful picture it Is 10 see these dots
riding un the broad sheet Of golden radiance
cast on the sea by the rising sun One man
will pull the-e ''dories' nn the very edge and
sometimes IN the very crest of big wave
tumbling Oh the beach. | have had some
boat experience on various seas, hut ! never
saw such skiilful handling Of boat by one
man III t-ttil htdhtF~ W dlt'biils tflhlitt
as lac comes in with perhaps @U or ~.
pounds Of Goldfish, he will put him,
self III the right plac. atop heavy breaker
and let 1t shoot HIM almost high and dry on
the beach. | saw Yesterday boats coming
in whose bows, AS they were shot forward
projected two or three inches over the beach
they were being rolled on by the sea behind
them. These Seconsett fishers are careless
of these tumbling masses Of water as are the
mammoth seal IN the breakers of the Farra
lone Islands of San Francisco. | have seen
them anchored and fishing on the Pochcs
Rip here where, the long breakers rolled
in, they Were apparently all out of water one
moment and under it the next Pochick Rip
is at certain turns ot THE ocean He'll Gate
roaring, foaming, seething. Compared 10 il
the East river He'll Gate is a mere wash bowl
Of maritime agitation. Further out at sea, of
Seccnsett are Bass Rip and the Odd Man.
Back" dreaded by sailors and in Whose sand.
lie many vessels bones These sands are
about mile from shore, their presence being
indicated now and then by the gleam of white
foamy breakers. You dimIy masi
sticking out Of water. The natives one morn,
ing about six weeks ago three masts
Sfere now you see but one. They found out
eventually they belonged to a three masted
schooner from Bangor, inai;ed with lime She
strayed on the shoal at night Nothing hs:
ever been heard of the crew They went
down with her or We're capsized in the break.
ers after taking To their boat. These events
are relatively common here. These shore
sands are full Of WRECKS, some completely
buried out ut sight and many yards from
where the >ea Is now pounding Iebbles into
sand
The fiShernens cottages at Seconsett ar,
maritime constructions on land Sone art
over century old In cases tine built.I
would not allow himself ii window bigger
than II stern port. A man of Nantucket VIII,
has lived ON the SCI, s,.S eli tenths OF his life,
can't bear to see daylight streaming through
n window rs big as IA barn door. 1t looks in.
secure. ami IN cass. OF II storm II sea might b.
shipped through such AN eNpaiISc of window
glass. The street, here were not laid out
They came up or drift-d IN OF themselves
As ii result they harrow ami widen ia suudei
and e'reItric fashions. Since the village Ia.
become II summer resort attempts have been
ula'ie 10 regulate them and make them lie
have themselves III something hke town
fashion But the line will straggle like al
old fashioned general training. Sometime.
the hen coop Is at the frunt-soInetimes the.
house. Then they've stuck names On every
little gap between two cottages and called 1t
"iane" or street Such attempts to bt
town remind one of IA small boy ia his IA,
pants. The result Is neither good for the boy
OF the trousers
The col fishers "dory' is the result of a
great deal Of experience .inl study tor fash.
iuiIlng craft for rough water and ocean
beach landing. They came into Use about
twenty "tid years agc. Stern AMI bow rise
Il foot higher than the waist Th-r.. is a
small area of ellipticaliy shaIed FIAT bottom
Hat bottom slides easily up aui down the
sandy beach. \ ket1ed bottom cuts ia and
furruws. If the "dory" is swung by Il wave
broai>ide to It is still swept up the beach on
II fnere scum of water Ii keried bottome-i
boat Is swung bruaISide to she sticks rolls
over and the next wave may smash her sides
The next wave only slide, the 'dury" further
up the sands. These are very important con
sideratlOus where. instead If Il pier landing
smooth water and iight Of steIs. you have
only swash of tons nn tons of foam and sen.
green waller every tw-nty seconds. The
''dury' Is the most difficult boat atioat To cap.
size.
OF course, every one knows that Goldfish
are salted and dried III the sun But every
one does not know that q Goldfish must be
handed about twenty times before 1t is
cured Il mast be put under cover ia damp
wealth.. or 1t will spoil. IL must lie put un-
der co,tr at night, for the nights here ate al
Ways damp. IL won't dry properly IN every
shade of Sunshine If The sun is too hot 1t
cooks the fish and ruins Its flavor. II tho
sunshine Is hazy or semi cloudy 1t won't an
s"er. The ii>n are always going on ami com